(contributed by Louie Tacker) WE jokingly call it ‘Hollywood Surgery’ here in the States only because it seems most average people like to emulate the stars in any way they can by undergoing plastic surgery and other procedures.

In the last year or so, I have been curious as to the many ads popping up in the local papers, advertising such services as ‘BOTOX INJECTIONS’, or ‘BREAST AUGMENTATION’, the latter being  just a fancy word for fake breasts. These are small ads such as one might place for a car for sale, and that makes me wonder - who would even think of any kind of surgery or treatment by calling a doctor from a small ad in a local paper? Well, it must be working because the ads are growing, and I have found out that a doctor can open ’satellite office’  with a qualified assistant to perform such services as botox injections. These assistants don’t have to be medical doctors, and many nurses who take training classes and get certified can do the injections legally, as long as the doctor is within the premises.

The problem however, is that the doctor may not be there most times. What is done is they rent small offices for above mentioned procedures and staff them with assistants to do the injections - yes, sort of ‘fast food’ botox.

For those not familiar with botox, it is an injection derived from the botulism/botulinum toxin or bacteria (which can be deadly) which, in small doses is FDA approved. It is injected in a jell like form into lips, under the eyes to swell out wrinkles and so on, and it lasts only 4-6 months and must be reinjected to keep the effect.  Well, like with anything else in life, you get what you pay for. I have seen some injections that were not done correctly or where the patients had  adverse reactions and looked like they went 10 rounds with a prize fight.

Now don’t get the wrong idea here. If a woman or man wants to spring up their looks - it’s their body. But I personally find many women, as they age, even with wrinkles and not so full lips to be attractive, seductive or sexy, or whatever you want to call it, because sexual stimulation starts and grows in the mind. What turns one person on may not do so for another. For example, I find many Asian men and women to age with gracefulness as their skin seems to stay much tighter than Caucasian men and women.

The breasts - which are every man’s obsession, are a woman’s pride and joy. I have seen total botch jobs on breasts where many painful and corrective follow up surgeries are needed to repair the original surgery. Let’s remember that 15-20 years ago, we thought silicone was okay to put in the body, and hey, ‘the bags won’t break’. But it was found out to be different. I have also seen perfect breast implants that looked foolish, much too large, or they stand up so high and firm that it is obvious they are fake. To me they are a real turn off. I believe even the best surgeons in the world can’t make the bag of saline solution flow and jiggle like that of the real thing because only nature can produce such. And when caressing and rubbing against the fake breasts, as compared to the real ones, there is no contest. Fake ones look nice under tight sweaters or sexy dresses though. And if the woman’s attitude is ‘if I look good, then I feel good’ - then so be it. But personally, I find much beauty in the mature body of a woman, even large natural breasts that have not undergone cosmetic jobs. Yes, they tend to sag, but I personally find this a graceful beauty in a woman.

As I reluctantly pull away from the breast subject (lol), let us take a look at other procedures such as liposuction. Well, recently, liposuction has been under fire.

Liposuction is a procedure where a long suctioning needle is inserted just under the skin to suck out excess fat in those areas that are problematic such as hips, belly, rump and thighs. Luckily for many beautiful Asian women, they don’t need to face the problem of most American women. Our country is in an extreme state of obeseness. So here comes medical science that says - “look here, we will suck it out of you,  just keep eating all that junk food because now, for a price, we will just suck it out, no need for exercise for months or years because we will just pull it right out.” Now, I say that with sarcasm, because this relatively new procedure is now showing signs of danger. Some patients are even dying from the procedure or are left permanently scarred or deformed. I don’t claim to be an expert here, but everyday, we read more and more of the horror stories of botched cosmetic procedures.

Then we also have face lifts. Oh, yes, the stretching of that skin - pinning it back behind the ears once every 6-7 years, depending on how long one lives, till you reach the ultimate goal, the ‘permanent smile’, like that of Joan Rivers, a 70+ comedian, who, yes, at a distance, looks 50, but closer inspection shows she  must battle to close her eye lids because she had one too many botox injections and facelifts … (lol). For men, this can pose a problem because - how can they ever tell if the woman (who had numerous facelifts) they just made hours of passionate love to, was really satisfied or she just has had too many facelifts that she is permanently smiling? How would they ever be able to judge themselves as lovers? (lol)

Let me just touch on the fact that cosmetic procedures are not only rampant among aging women but also men and what is more alarming is that OUR YOUNG PEOPLE are into this ‘fad’ too by altering what nature wanted them to look like. Yes, there are girls as young as 16 or 17, without parental consent, who are getting the breasts that nature ‘cheated’ them of, or sucking the fat out of them that years of potato chips and little physical activity have lodged in their hips. 

Now, let’s take an example. Even the best plastic surgeon in the world will tell you that breast enlargement is not permanent, and has to be redone every 6-10 years. So if a 20-year old girl gets her breasts enlarged, and if she lives up to 75, well, quick math tells us that she has to undergo at least five more ‘boob jobs’ in her entire lifetime. This is necessary because once she starts having it, there is no choice but to continue the ‘maintenance’.

In closing, I am not preaching right or wrong here. If you want to stay looking young, looking good, feeling good about yourself - then go for it. It is your own body so you may do as you see fit. But let’s not fall into the easy way out trap. Remember, there is BIG MONEY in all these. And with that comes BIG ADVERTISING. Before thinking of such procedures, we should get more than one opinion and see referrals through the doctor’s work. Make sure the doctor you speak to is the one doing doing the surgery himself. You see, I was once told by a doctor that ANY SURGERY is not minor. So it is important to be cautious and see if what you seek is really worth the risk and money.

Corollary to this, let me give this unsolicited advice: Let us try to teach our children not to be so superficial because after all, if the only reason a man or a woman wants you or loves you or marries you is because of your looks, then that person is probably NOT WORTH your time.

Plastic surgeons have critical roles in our world. They can reconstruct breasts that have been removed due to cancer, restore the looks after a bad accident, graft skin that has been damaged in severe burn cases and help people who have no choice but to undergo plastic surgery for medical and health reasons. True, these are fine men and women surgeons who provide needed services and may God bless them for it. Thus, it is our choice if we go to them for SUPERFICIAL reasons.

Try pondering on this: is it morally right or wrong to toy with nature’s miracle of life? I personally am not wise enough to answer this question, but we must remember - beauty always was, always is and always will be in the eyes of the beholder…